2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference

"Promise in the Road Ahead"

Jame Lyn Hamilton
Jame Lyn Hamilton (Tohn Thay Tigh Gyeah Mah) (Comanche/Kiowa) is a 2009 graduate of the Oklahoma Arts Council's Leadership Arts program, which she credits for providing essential tools for her work in her community. She grew up the great granddaughter of one of the headsman of the Kiowa Gourd Clan, the granddaughter of the Aw Day Mahtaun (Favored Woman) of the Kiowa Tribe, learning tribal protocol, language, and expectations. Hamilton acquired her Kiowa and Comanche regalia making skills from her mom and grandmothers—her goal is to ensure that the knowledge she was taught will continue to her daughter and future generations. Currently, Hamilton is completing a series of moccasin making classes for the Comanche Nation at locations across Oklahoma and Texas. She also works with state organizations, tribal programs, and school districts to teach regalia making and other Indigenous skills. During the pandemic, Hamilton and her husband started an online business called Choke Cherry Designs. What began as making small Kiowa and Comanche jewelry turned into full dance outfits and custom built camp furniture and home furnishings. In 2022, Choke Cherry Designs was commissioned to construct Arapaho exhibit pieces for the Colorado History Museum’s Sand Creek Massacre exhibit. Choke Cherry Designs allows them to completely fulfill their obligations while ensuring the artistry, crafting skills, and regalia making knowledge of their cultures continues.

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For more information contact our Director of Rural and Creative Community Outreach.